BFMTV said that 210mm (8in) of rain fell on Wednesday night – two months’ worth of normal rainfall. Search and rescue teams were forced to suspend their work overnight, resuming on Thursday morning.

The regional leader, Jean-Luc Videlaine, warned that the death toll may rise.

Bridge collapses in Sardinia

In Italy, the Cagliari area of Sardinia has also been hit by bad weather, and one woman was found dead on Thursday.

She was declared missing on Wednesday night, after her car became trapped by the flooding.

Italian news agency Ansa named her as 45-year-old Tamara Maccario, and said she and her family had left their home near a river over fear of the impending floodwater. The vehicle was swept away at about midnight on Wednesday.

Image copyrightAFP / Guardia de FinanzaImage caption Aerial footage showed the extent of damage to the roads in Italy

Ansa reports that one of the woman’s daughters was found clinging to a tree, while two other children and their father were found in two separate homes nearby.

Ms Maccario’s body was found on Thursday morning. Another man has also been reported missing.

Large parts of Cagliari remain underwater, demonstrated in a video posted by Italian emergency responders.

Roads and bridges have also been damaged.

Dozens of people have been evacuated, and several roads have been closed due to either collapse or dangerously high water levels.